Like The Breeze
by OriginalChocobo
Summary: With nowhere left to run alongside the aid of Riku and the breeze of the Destiny Islands, Xion finally comes to a final decision. Short one-shot, light on friendship.


**Disclaimer- I own nothing from the Kingdom Hearts franchise.**

**(A/N) Oh my god, I don't even know HOW it's possible that I haven't written a Kingdom Hearts fanfic by now. I've been a die hard fan since I was a little girl. Honestly, this fic was the product of me pondering the significance of the Thalassa shell and crying my eyes out to Xion's theme. 10 minutes later, here we are with my first, terribly short, and somewhat poorly written story. I guess the idea grew on me enough though or I wouldn't have posted it. Enjoy.**

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><p><em>It's beautiful<em>.

Xion kept the sentiment silent, quietly staring at the beautiful sunset that retreated behind the shoreline, halfway obscured by her raven locks that the fleeting gust of wind that blew about. She kept her gaze focused on the horizon that was painted in swirls of vermillion and copper surrounding a half-concealed blazing sun. She shifted her hand along the smooth bark of the bent tree underneath her, relishing in the calm before the storm.

"The breeze is nice isn't it?" she asked as she turned her stare to the boy next to her, leaning upon the base of same tree she sat upon. His arms were crossed behind his head in a manner to suggest he was thinking about something, a contemplative moment passing before he gave a slight nod to answer her question.

"Are you okay?" she questioned.

"I'm curious," he paused tactfully, "as to why you're here. The Organization is sure to be searching for you right now."

She waited a moment before responding, "You just answered your own question."

"You intend to keep fighting don't you?" Riku took his hands from behind his head and opted to fold them over his chest instead.

_I don't know._

"Are you mad?" she trailed off with a painful smile invisible to his eyes, hidden by the bandanna.

"I'm not mad," his voice was low and quiet among the occasional gull overhead and rustling of palm leaves. He knew full well that he should have been; Xion held the remaining remnants of Sora's being, stalling his memories from completion and his return to this world. Still… "It's hard to be mad when you sound just like her and you act just like him," he whispered, thoughts bleeding into words.

"It just makes me a little sad sometimes," he revealed a small smile that she sensed was full of heartache.

The only sound that made itself known was the gentle crash of the frothy waves on the shore as she looked down, a tuft of inky hair falling in front of her eyes, to the Thalassa shell resting in her gloved palm. Xion gave a broken giggle as she thought about the irony of her role. A Nobody, yet she held the fate of too many people in her hands.

"I think," her voice faltered, "I know what it's like to have something like friends."

Across her mind flashed the images of Roxas, Axel, and she smiling on the edge of the clock tower. The sunset and laughs. The sea-salt ice cream.

Xion closed her eyes with what felt like sympathy on the edge of where her heart should have been.

"It must hurt to have them taken away from you…" a silent teardrop trailed down her cheek and she suddenly found herself thankful for Riku's blindfold, "So I'm sorry. I really am."

He knitted his eyebrows together at the tone that seemed to waver alongside her composure, "Xion?"

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she discovered a sort of sense of obligation, the pseudo-emotion she felt telling her that sometimes, self-sacrifice was called for. For the first time, she discarded the instinct of self preservation and weighed the importance of her own being with the completion of Sora and Riku's reunion with his friends. And as for Axel and Roxas…

Xion lifted her head to the darkening crimson sky and closed her eyes, basking in the brief moment of peace as another gentle gust blew by.

…They wouldn't remember her anyway.

"The breeze is nice," she repeated with only a contented smile gracing her lips.

After the wind ceased, escorting another long reticence, she hopped down from the winding neck of the tree and sighed before stepping forward with newfound resolve.

"Where are you going?" Riku interrupted, standing up straight.

Xion took his hand in her own and placed the Thalassa shell in his palm, "Where I belong."

"But you-"

"Riku," she hushed as she turned her back to him again and took another step forward, opening a portal into the darkness.

"You shouldn't worry about a Nobody," she looked over her shoulder with a beam as another tear fell, "I can't ask you to remember me… but we'll meet again someday."

"Xion…"

"I promise."

With those words, she walked through the swirling shadows, only leaving him with the solace of the Thalassa shell and the breeze.

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><p><strong>I don't really know where I was going with this.<strong>

**I understand that this doesn't fit in with canon but I think a heartfelt goodbye with Riku would have been kinda sweet.**

**Reviews are always appreciated and I take requests.**


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